John Wayne Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Ana, California 92707
Sunday, November 4, 1984 21:45 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A CLIMB TO CRUISE, THE CREW EXPERIENCED CONTROL DIFFICULTIES WHEN THE FOR-&-AFT TRIM ACTUATOR BEGAN TO MOTOR FORWARD AND WOULD NOT STOP. AN EMERG DESCENT WAS MADE WITH BOTH PLTS EXERTING AFT CYCLIC PRESSURE TO PREVENT THE SPEED FROM INCREASING OVER 120 KTS. THE ACFT RETURNED SUCCESSFULLY TO THE DEPARTURE ARPT. ALL GAGES INDICATED NORMAL AND NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE OBSERVED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE FB 10 ELECTRICAL RELAY AND SUBSEQUENT FOULING OF THE CONTACT OPERATION BY A BROKEN FRAGMENT. THE RELAY SPRING FAILED FROM FATIGUE, INITIATED AS MICRO CRACKS WHICH RESULTED FROM COLD FORMING BENDING AND SUBSEQUENT STRAIGHTENING PROCESS DURING MANUFACTURE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 11/4/1984
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2145
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SANTA ANA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92707
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport JOHN WAYNE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SNA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 240
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2145 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 60
Weather Observation Facility ID SNA
Elevation of weather observation facility 54
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 700
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5099
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27125
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5840T
NTSB Number LAX85IA040
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Westland Helicopters
Aircraft Model WG30
Aircraft Series Identifier WG30
Aircraft Serial Number 006
Certified Max Gross Weight 12350
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 18
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Nov 1 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 118
Airframe Hours 16927
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIRSPUR HELICOPTERS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9841 AIRPORT BLVD. SUITE 714
Aircraft Owner City LOS ANGELES
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90045
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name EVERGREEN HELICOPTERS OF AK
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 578 BLVD SUITE 714
Operator City ANCHORAGE
Operator State AK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 99510
Operator Code 0T
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SNA
Departure City SANTA ANA
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2142
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LAX
Destination City LOS ANGELES
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 19
Runway Length 2887
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --